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Explanation: Why do parts of the south pole of Mars look like swiss cheese? This little-understood landscape features flat-topped mesas nearly 4 meters high and circular indentations over 100 meters across. Since this swiss-cheese topography is unique to the polar cap covering southern Mars, exogeologists speculate that mesa composition might be high in frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice). Additionally, dry ice might have had a role in this strange landscape's creation. In the above picture, the Martian surface is illuminated by sunlight from the upper right. The above picture was taken in August 1999 by the robot Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft currently orbiting Mars.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mars - south pole - swiss cheese
Publications with words: Mars - south pole - swiss cheese
See also:
- APOD: 2025 July 15 Á Collapse in Hebes Chasma on Mars
- APOD: 2025 July 6 Á The Spiral North Pole of Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 29 Á Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 22 Á A Berry Bowl of Martian Spherules
- APOD: 2025 June 15 Á Two Worlds One Sun
- Perseverance Selfie with Ingenuity
- Deimos Before Sunrise